9.5 MGD
Water Distributed
2 MGD
Wastewater Treated
1.6 MGD
Reclaimed Water
Operating Municipal Utilities
Conveniently situated about 30 miles west of Orlando with a 1,000-acre industrial park and reasonably priced land, Groveland has become an attractive area in Lake County for both new businesses and residents, requiring robust utility services. The city’s rapid growth was putting strain on its already challenged public utilities, which include eight treatment facilities, over 200 miles of collection and distribution systems, and a host of other assets. The firm retained Groveland’s operations employees and implemented best management practices to reduce costs, create efficiencies, and improve safety. All staff underwent thorough health and safety training, from first aid to confined space entry, respiratory protection, and hazardous material response, among other subjects.
Woodard & Curran also implemented a mobile asset management program and cataloged more than 18,000 assets. This formed the basis for new Standard Maintenance Procedures for all critical assets. Our Supervisory Controls and Data Acquisition (SCADA) experts replaced proprietary and unsupported control and communications equipment at all facilities to provide more secure and streamlined remote access and automation capabilities.
Fiscal sustainability and capital planning
To better manage and plan for current and future growth, Groveland and Woodard & Curran collaborated on a comprehensive utility master plan. This guides the city as they provide safe and reliable drinking water, wastewater treatment, and recycled water, while using funds efficiently and responsibly. Our experts assessed system conditions and model simulations to identify deficiencies and opportunities for improvement.
This identified nearly $70 million in capital projects, and our Fiscal Solutions Team secured millions in grants, loans, and alternative funding for the work. Simultaneously, the team helped improve financial processes to create more efficient and effective systems and sustainably fund long-term operations and capital programs.
In addition to securing and loans, our drinking water experts consolidated the water treatment plants into one public water system identification (PWSID). This saves time by reducing administrative duties, as well as approximately $25,000 to $30,000 annually in sampling costs. A field study also revealed inconsistencies between metering and billing. By updating the meter information in the billing system and ensuring meters were right sized for the user, Groveland will recuperate approximately $1.5 million in unrealized revenue. This has created dedicated revenue for a planned $100 million regional water reclamation facility that will accommodate growth and regionalization, reducing the financial burden to existing ratepayers.
